The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device, more particularly, to a vehicle occupant protection device suitably used as a leg protection device for protecting vehicle occupant""s legs from colliding with a vehicle member, such as an interior panel, in front of a vehicle seat in if the event of a vehicle collision.
As the vehicle occupant protection device for protecting the vehicle occupant from colliding with the interior panel in the event of the collision of the vehicle, there is a protection device having mainly an airbag installed inside the interior panel or in a space behind the interior panel, a gas generator for inflating the airbag and a cover for covering the airbag in a normal state (when the vehicle is not in a situation like the collision).
In the aforementioned vehicle occupant protection device, the airbag is folded and accommodated inside the interior panel and the cover is disposed to cover the folded airbag.
In the event of the vehicle collision, the gas generator is actuated to spout out gas. The gas is supplied into the airbag so as to rapidly inflate the airbag. Upon the inflation of the airbag, the cover is opened so as to allow the airbag to expand out of the interior panel. Therefore, the airbag is inflated and deployed between the interior panel and the vehicle occupant, thereby protecting the vehicle occupant from colliding with the interior panel.
An example of the vehicle occupant protection device of this type will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an example of the vehicle occupant protective device for a front passenger installed in the automobile. The vehicle occupant protection device is in a state that the airbag is inflated.
A vehicle occupant protection device 100 of the automobile comprises a container-like retainer 102 having an opening formed in its front face (facing a vehicle occupant), an airbag 104 folded and accommodated in the retainer 102, a gas generator 106 for inflating the airbag 104 and a cover door 108 for covering the opening formed in a front face of the retainer 102 and for creating an opening when the airbag 104 is inflated. The cover door 108 is pivotally supported at its lower edge by a hinge 116. In a normal state, the cover door 108 is arranged to be substantially flush with an interior panel 112 for closing the opening 114.
In the vehicle occupant protection device 100, the gas generator 106 is actuated to spout out the gas in the event of the vehicle collision. The airbag 104 is inflated by the gas from the gas generator 106 to push up and open the cover door 108 so that the airbag 104 is deployed in front of the vehicle occupant, thereby receiving the upper half of the vehicle occupant.
The cover door is supported by the airbag 104 and is positioned in front of knees of the vehicle occupant, thereby preventing the lower legs of the vehicle occupant from colliding with the interior panel 112. That is, when the airbag 104 is inflated, the cover door 108 is pushed out toward the vehicle occupant by the gas pressure during the inflation of the airbag 104 and comes in contact with the knees of the vehicle occupant. Therefore, a load locally applied by the knees of the vehicle occupant is dispersed by the cover door 108 and is then transmitted to the airbag 104, whereby the airbag 104 effectively absorbs the load from the vehicle occupant to receive and stop the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.
An upper portion of the cover door 108 is connected to the retainer 102 by a connecting member 118, thereby preventing the cover door 108 from excessively projecting toward the vehicle occupant or from coming off by the rapid inflation of the airbag 104.
In the vehicle occupant protection device 100, the connecting member 118 as pivotal movement limiting means of the cover door 108 has two rods 118a and 118b. Each end of the rods 118a and 118b is pivotally connected with each other, and the other end of the rod 118a is pivotally connected to the retainer 102, and the other end of the other rod 118b is pivotally connected to the cover door 108. This structure increases the number of parts and thus increases a cost. In a normal state, a pair of the rods 118a, 118b of the connecting member 118 is closed in a V-shape. During assembly, a part of the airbag may be caught between the rods 118a and 118b in a step of closing the rods 118a, 118b. Accordingly, the device does not provide a good operability.
Further, since the connecting member 118 is located near an upper edge of the cover door 108, the airbag 104 is easily caught by the connecting member 118 while expanding from a bottom side.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide a vehicle occupant protection device that has a simple structure, can be easily assembled, and allows extremely smooth inflation of the airbag.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
A vehicle occupant protection device of the present invention includes an airbag disposed inside a vehicle member in front of a seat of a vehicle; a gas generator for inflating the airbag; a door substantially flush with the vehicle member for covering the airbag and creating an opening in the vehicle member through which the airbag passes toward the vehicle occupant with its one side as a hinge member when the airbag is inflated; and limiting means for limiting an opening angle of the door. The limiting means is composed of stoppers that contact a backside of the peripheral edge of the opening when the door is opened by a predetermined angle. The stoppers are disposed on sidewalls of the door extending in a direction perpendicular to the sidewalls.
In the vehicle occupant protection device, when the door is opened by the inflated airbag, the stoppers contact the backside of the peripheral edge of the opening, thereby preventing the door from further opening.
The stoppers are disposed on the door and can be easily formed as an integrated part with the door, for example, by molding a synthetic resin.
In the present invention, each of the stoppers has a plate portion and rib portions. The plate portion projects laterally from a saidwall of the door, and comes to contact the backside of the peripheral edge of the opening. The rib portions support the plate portion. In the stopper with this structure, the strength and rigidity of the stopper can be designed with a great flexibility by selecting the shapes of the plate portion and the rib portions, and the number of the rib portions.
The vehicle occupant protection device of the present invention is extremely suitable to a leg protection device for protecting a vehicle occupant""s legs by the inflated airbag, and can be used as an airbag device for protecting a front passenger or a rear passenger.